Deadman Standing (2018) Reviews

• History turned into Hollywood cliche.

  harms_matt2018-12-18

  Having grown up in Newton, KS, and having personally researched the story of the gunfight at Hyde Park over the years, I looked forward to this movie's release. Although casting is good (especially for Mike McCluskie and James Riley), the true story has been greatly altered into a Hollywood western cliche. I can appreciate the relationship that the movie produces between McCluskie and Riley but much of the rest of the story-telling falls flat, even by Hollywood standards. I had hoped for both a more accurate historical account and a great telling of a fascinating story. I got neither.

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• Sandbagged reviews

  harms_matt2018-12-24

  Any review that you read having more than 5 stars is obvious sandbagging by friends and family of the filmmakers.

• Amateur Hour in the Wild West

  lavatch2018-12-17

  This was amateur filmmaking due to a convoluted time scheme of flashbacks. The story was based on the historical shootout in Newton, Kansas in 1871. But the screenplay takes us from 1873 in Medicine Lodge to a flashback in 1871 in Newton. Yet they were both set in the same saloon! The film would have been improved by simply telling the story of what happened in the Newton shootout. The introduction of a brothel, a madam, and various love intrigues led to even more confusion. In the historical Newton event, it was clear that the shootout was not instigated by "good guys" and "bad guys," but rather by a motley crew of rowdy, anarchic settlers. The film simply recycled standard Hollywood melodrama. From start to finish, this was a poorly conceived film that appeared as though it was made on the fly. Thumbs down!

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• TERRIBLE

  cbrlacey2018-12-12

  Acting is very poor. Could not watch it through. I felt like the movie was trying to hard to be a western.

• Really Fun Western

  MyBearHands2018-12-12

  Really cool that it's based on a true story! Luke Arnold plays a great grizzled sheriff character.